Buon San Valentino
by fanfictiondrivethrough
Summary: WWII Human AU - Ludwig Beilschmidt goes to Italy and looks back at the war behind him. An unmemorized friend decides to join him. Dedicated to petrichorus and APDubtalia.
1. Chapter 1

This story is inspired by a fan-made video, wich was deleted on youtube some time ago.

* * *

The colosseum in Rom is a circle that was broken apart for a greater good a long time ago and a creation that was finished an even longer time ago.  
But it seems like it was just yesterday when Ludwig Beilschmidt wandered around that circle. Actually, it was the year 1949.  
Ludwig was dressed in a light-blue button up, black pants and matching leather shoes - made in Italy.  
At this early hour he was nearly the only tourist in this area. Only a few had decided to take advantage of the fresh morning air, the others would all be melting in the masses at a later hour.  
The German took his time admiring the architecture, trying to analyse the building with all its forms and lines. The time had done an awful lot on it, but the affect it had on those who searched for it wasn't weakened. Ludwig's thoughts drifted between now and back then: No, we're lying to ourselves. This place saw people die, yet those who damned them cheered as their bodies were ripped apart. The difference to these days is that now it's not them, it's us. And we won't be forgiven so easily. Because we don't have the power to shut the mouths of those who'll speak against us? This isn't over yet, but it is. And me? What would I have done if...  
A rumble behind Ludwig stopped him from drawing lines to connect those points. It was a truck for tomatoes driving near by. Reminded of time by it Ludwig decided to go to the market before it would be too crowded. A bunch of noisy marketers was already there, comparing their praises, chatting, arguing, looking around for a girl to whistle after. He would have ignored them, but it was the nice smell of the air, the smiles around him, just the entire feeling of the certainty that they didn't knew him that drew Ludwig to them. They all seemed likeable, so he bought what he needed and more. Surprisingly, they didn't have tomatoes. The owner of the only tomatoe market stall that was already here was talking on the phone and quickly interrupted the conversation to help Ludwig with is problem, wich he did by agressively telling him to open the closed box 'over there', wherever that was, to get him away. He wasn't much older than Ludwig and had an angry talk with his grand father.  
Around the corner behind the market he found a wooden box that said "pomodori", with a jemmy next to it on the ground. It was overshadowed by a new-looking sun blind, but the building it was fixed on seemed old and empty. The walls were shady, all the blinds were closed, except for a few ones on the second floor. Those windows were broken. But the house itself was typically Italian, beautiful architecture. The stone looked affected, reminding Ludwig of the colosseum. He picked up the jemmy and started working on the box. It was awfully hard to open, so that when he finally made it he fell back on the ground. Or he was pushed back, later he didn't remember. Someone came out of the box, screaming, crying, begging for something in Italien. The words were flowing over Ludwig, quickly and spoken in fear, but it still was like singing and and a bit like a prayer. When Ludwig got up from the ground the someone flinched and started making whiny sounds.  
"Listen. Wha-", Ludwig started and then realised he had no point. It was ridiculous. This entire situation, this person, the place - how in the world could one even get in there?  
The person from the box now stopped acting like Ludwig was threatening and looked at him. Ludwig looked back. He wished he hadn't. This wasn't a mad criminal, or at least he didn't look like it, but that didn't say much about his sainety or intentions. This man - more like a boy - must have been Ludwig's age, yet he looked like a child. His eyes were big and round and seemed like they were filled with amber, surrounded by the thorns his dark eyelashes formed. his hair was parted right in the middle and the auburn curls surrounded his face. But right now he looked pathetic, with his eyes filled with tears, his dirty closes and that one curl that seemed so out of place that Ludwig would have laughed if this entire thing didn't drive him so mad.  
Called by the noises the mad marketer from before came running. He managed to overlook Ludwig completely, wich had never happened to him before. He pulled the boy-ish man up to press him down again and screamed and sweared at him in Italian. At some point he made a break and the boy pointed at Ludwig, as if to answer a question. Now Ludwig was finally recognized. He wondered why he was still standing here instead of taking advantage of the situation and leave without beeing seen. Now he noticed the angry one had a curl, too. And he looked a bit like the one who was still sitting in the box and had his hands folded as if he was begging for mercy. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he seemed to remember that he himself was it who told Ludwig to open the box.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know this", he pointed at his brother (?), "decided to play hide and seek again."  
AGAIN.  
He now spoke calmly to the box boy, nodded at Ludwig and then returned to the market. The other one climbed out as soon as they were alone and streched his arms. The the turned to Ludwig.  
"Sorry about that. He's not bad, just worried about me. You do speak Italien?" he asked, probably pertaining to the fact that the marketer had spoken Italien to Ludwig.  
"Bad enough."  
The boy made a worried face. "So you understood what he, uh..."  
"Not really. But you flinched at a few words."  
He sighed in relief. Then his eyes suddenly widened.  
"What's your name?" he asked.  
"Beilschmidt. Ludwig Beilschmidt."  
The boy held out a hand and grinned.  
"Vargas. Feliciano Vargas."  
His hand was soft and fragile for a man's. It could barely stand Ludwig's rough squeeze.  
"You don't happen to know where I can get tomatoes here?"  
Instead of answering Feliciano turned and winked Ludwig to follow him. Just in time another marketer arrived, who even gave the tomatoes for a lower price to Feliciano who refered to Ludwig as his friend.  
Rome seemed hyped to no limit.


	2. Chapter 2

The appartment was cold and small. The furnishing was simple. But for Ludwig it was enough because he got away from where he'd been and that meant the chance to find peace after all.

There was nothing that would hold him now, so he just did all those little things that made him happy and helped him to forget. Every day, waiting for somthing to happen, he was perfectly fine.

He put everything he had bought away, except for a book of Italian Renesance novellas. This morning he'd walked past a store of antiques and other old stuff. It was laid out in the window, the red leather cover with the golden font was eye-catching. It was probably just meant to be decoration but Ludwig had loved it anyways and ran into the shop with a bag of vegetables in his arm to buy it from the startled old man who just seemed happy to get something sold. Now, that he was finally home he felt the cover, listened to the creaking sound it made when he opened it, smelt the old pages and admired the old font style. Every lover in the stories seemed light and beautiful, like a never ending summer night. The delicate composing of words was a blessing and Ludwig could hear the sounds of voices singing them more than speaking while his eyes were following them and he became one with this distant world.

It was already noon when Ludwig realised how hungry he was after finishing another chapter and thinking about how the writers could have such power over their chose of words. He wanted to try cooking Italian food after recipe, using the tomatoes he'd bought this morning. The kitchen was almost one with the living and dinning room, only seperated by an old shelf wich Ludwig had found on a flew market. He countinued to fill it with novels and recipe books, like the one he took now. A clinking noise caught his attention. He couldn't see what had caused it, so he looked under the shelf. He found a small, shiny object that must have fallen down when he took the book. Without thinking about what it could be he grabbed it. When the cool metal touched his skin and the sharp nooks stung into his palm he realised what it was immediately: His iron cross, the first thing he'd but on the shelf with the hope that he wouldn't have to see it again as soon as it was burried. He used to never take it off his neck, show it to the world as a symbol of all the pride he used to have in his country. He run his fingers over the white border, drowning in his thought. Would the day when he'd wear it again ever come? It was a feeling as if cold hands grabbed his neck, the cold days of a war that distroied his life were hunting him even now when it was supposed to be forgotten.

Ludwig shook his head, as if he could shake the pain off. This thing had to disappear so he wouldn't find it again. Its only place used to be on his skin. Now he couldn't get it far enough away from himself. A few days ago he'd noticed that one of the floor's boards was loose. The beloved cross would always be wraped in a handkerchief and hidden underneath it from now on. He turned back to his cooking and tried to mind other things, like the disaster from this morning, but his mind was stuck. The two man still seemed strange to him. But all Italians were strange! How could they celabrate when the man they'd obeyed for years lost his position and then suddenly brake their bound- No. They'd been smarter than the Germans, they were given a chance to brake with fascism and they took it wich was probably better for everyone. While Germany had led itself into bitterness, refusing to wake up from a selfish dream. He was one of those who had to suffer as a payment for those mistakes. At least he survived and was lucky enough to be able to leave the country but sometimes the regret overcame him with bitter tears. In those moments he wished he had died so he wouldn't have to wake up from nightmares to realise they'd been reality just a few years ago.

The image of the young man from this morning snapped in his mind. What did he have to go through over the years? He didn't seem like the type that'd join the army out of patriotism, but even as a civilist he could have learned the pain of war. A family member that had fallen in battle, the rareness of groceries, the things that happened in the streets - Feliciano, it was likely that he wasn't the same as he used to be. More pain overcame Ludwig. The feeling of suddenly feeling related to a stranger because you just had one thing in common, just because both of you shared a single feeling in a place that killed even more hearts than living beeings was strangely familiar to him.

With a sigh he stired in the boiler.


	3. Chapter 3

In the next weeks Ludwig went to the market at least once every weekend. It was usually Feliciano who served him, while Lovino rarely talked to their costumers. But he was always there to carry boxes of tomatoes, watch over his little brother and tell him not to let the price down so much when people tried to bargain.

"He's not like this around girls", was what Feliciano usually said, as if he had to excuse him. Lovino ellbowed him as a response.

"And what about you, Casanova?" he added with a smirk on his face.

In a strange way it pleased Ludwig to watch them. The Vargas brothers were seen as good company by everyone. They had an unfleeding air of youth around them, but sometimes Ludwig wondered if he was just telling that to himself because it would be too painful if their shining eyes, bright smiles and flirty voices would vanish one day.

"If I had a car and it was broken I'd bring it to you to fix it", said Feliciano when Ludwig had told him that he was a mechanic. It took him a while to realise it was a compliment. Lovino leaned over the table and threw an arm around Feliciano.

"Feli surely is good at keeping our regulars", he growned while giving Ludwig a warning glance.

Since he couldn't think of another explanation Ludwig just assumed that Feliciano's words must have been more valuable than he'd thought.

One day he was fumbling for a certain wrench when suddenly a cheerful voice that he recognised way too well surprised him.

"Signore Ludwig!"

Feliciano ran into the garage of the small repair and assembling shop in wich the mechanics worked. He wasn't wearing the usual apron, his fawn shirt suited him well. He still adressed Ludwig the way he did because 'Beilschmidt' was considered as unpronounceable.

"It's good to see you! Will you come again this weekend?" was the first thing he said after his exuberant greeting.

What puppy eyes he could make, Ludwig thought, that was the look he used on his brother when he wanted something.

"Of course. -How did you know I was here?" he responded in confusion.

"I didn't. I was going to see a friend, but then I found you here, so I just..."

"I'll come to the market again", Ludwig said, troubled with the short Italian who seemed to take everything so easy.

"Uhm...", now or never, was what Grandpa Rome would say. Ludwig's eyes were already busy with the engine again.

"And today?"

He turned back. Feliciano flinched, realising that he was drawn to Ludwig by his well shaped chest showing through his black tank top underneath the half-way open overall jumpsuit. He was soaked with the sweat of a long day at work and covered in oil stains. This was the first time Feliciano saw him in his working clothes, without beeing expected to look at him at all.

"Well, I still have work to do. But this evening..."

Feliciano always had this gift to move people to action easily. It worked on Ludwig, too. They decided to meet at the Villa Giulia, the museum of Etruscan and Roman art in the area Vigna Vecchia, at nine. The building looked like one of the old woman that you see in movies who just sit in a bar as if they were waiting for someone but never order anything and are always dressed in their best clothes even though they look as old as the person wearing them.

Ludwig shook his head over the thought. He'd already been waiting for Feliciano, who should at least be on time since he'd been the one who had asked for this, since five minutes when he decided to walk around for a bit because he couldn't take the standing around for no reason anymore. Just in that moment he noticed Feliciano leaning against the building behind a thick column. The Italian raised his head and gave his usual smile.

"Signore Ludwig! You're actually here!"

How could one be seriously mad at him. Ludwig laughed. It felt as if he had rusted, but lately he had that feeling a lot.

Feliciano must have had been here before him, Ludwig realised. His companion kept talking about the museum's history and flirted with the female employees. It was supposed to be inappropriate when really it was just funny. Afterwards they went to a bar and it seemed like Ludwig's new drinking partner was quite equal with him. Their ways parted at half past eleven, wich was quite early, but Ludwig hadn't gone out in a long time.

"Goodbye, Signore Ludwig!" said Feliciano like he usually did.

He'd enjoied it, though – putting on nice clothes, going somewhere just for the sake of it, spending time with someone just because he wanted to and feeling a good spirit again. Ludwig didn't tell Feliciano any of what he'd felt, but he realised that now was his chance to keep him close and the fear of beeing alone agian made him take it.

"You can leave out the Signore, if you want to," said Ludwig softly.


	4. Chapter 4

And so an unusual friendship started between Ludwig and Feliciano. They were just as different as they appeared to be, but their conections lay deep, even if they rarely spoke about them. It was the war that had left them changed and torn, far from the people they used to be. Haggard and in sadness they had tried to live again wich sometimes seemed pointless to both of them. Ludwig used this to explain Feliciano's unreadable seeming mind to himself. That he'd lost someone who was dear to him would explain why he was so overly touchy or maybe it was just the Italian mentality. Ludwig still couldn't tell what was going on in Feliciano's mind because it was almost impossible to find out just how much he knew. He was worried about that, over-carefully he was about almost everything. It was good for both of them to know someone who's life style was completely opposite to their own.

Once they'd decided to have a picknick together. It was a warm saturday evening in mid-spring and Feliciano had offered to make pasta for both of them, then they'd meet somewhere and eat together. They decided on the Esquilin, one of Rome's seven classical hills, wich was near the colosseum. The time they'd decided on was half past twelve but, like it was at the museum, both of them were there a few minutes earlier. Feliciano streched a red and white picknick rug and they sat down between the ruins. Their prefered topics were books – Ludwig enjoied poetry and romance, he added the second one with his cheeks turning red, while Feliciano loved Greek myths and old Roman legends -, the time of the Roman empire and Italy's modern culture. Feliciano wouldn't stop talking about the history behind every old building and every statue, his knowledge was incredible. Ludwig didn't really mind. He knew only little about Rome but wanted to know everything, so he listened to his enthusiastic friend for hours. It was like an inofficial rule that neither of them spoke about the war more than necessary.

"Ludwig,", said Feliciano suddenly and quickly turned to him, "can I touch your hair?"

"I don't mind, I guess", Ludwig sighed. He was already used to strange questions like this. Feliciano reached and touched Ludwig who leaned down to him a bit so he wouldn't have to stretch so much.

"Hey, stop it now. You'll mass it up!" Ludwig groaned while Feliciano run his fingers forwards and backwards through the smooth blond strains.

"It isn't a problem, is it?" Feliciano laughed and continued to ruin Ludwig's strict hair style, while his friend had trouble to push him back.

"Really, you..." he mumbled, sounding annoyed, when he really wasn't. Feliciano's hands were warm and that made Ludwig remember when he went to the market for the first time and greeted Feliciano after finding him in a tomatoe box. He decided not to fix his hair because Feliciano would try to mess it up again anyways.

"I've got some cake", Ludwig remarked to distract him. He reached for the basket he'd brought wich was almost the same as Feliciano's; they both looked old and used. Feliciano leaned over his shoulder to glance at what he was taking out. His eyes light up at the sight of the fabulous chocolate cake.

"This is definitely surreal", was the first thing that got out of his mouth. Ludwig looked at the cake and back at him several times.

"I mean, you'd normally only see cakes like that on photos. They're so perfect you wouldn't believe they're real, but you managed to find one like that in reality. That means it's more than real."

"I didn't just 'find' it, I MADE it", Ludwig stated with a hint of pride.

"No, you didn't. I don't believe you," Feliciano replied.

"You will believe me when you taste it", Ludwig smirked while he cut the cake and placed a piece of it one Feliciano's plate. Feliciano took it and observed the cake: It was filled with chocolate cream in the middle, the top was iced and dark crumbles were smelted in it. He cut off a piece with his fork. Ludwig watched as he took it in his mouth and slowly chew it with his eyes closed. The mass metled in his mouth, dark and light brown chocolate, the flavours perfectly harmonized with each other.

"Wow... Surreal!"

"A bit of it got on your cheek. -Now, on the other side. -A bit more to the left. -That's right."

"Thanks!" Feliciano rejoiced.

"No, I mean, you, I think you confused left and right. The crumb's still there."

"Ve!" Feliciano quaked. "Don't you have a handkerchief or something?" he asked desperately. Ludwig did always have one with him. But instead of handing it to him he whiped his face himself under wails of protest that Feliciano mumbled into the cloth.

"Is that what we became friends for?" he inquired.

Ludwig shrugged in surprise. But yes, they really were friends. It was somehow official now and somehow that made Ludwig feel more at easy than before. He'd needed a friend, even though he'd never imagine it would be like this.

"Don't you just need someone who takes care of you? Doesn't your older brother watch over you like he does at the market?" Ludwig asked.

"He used to, I mean, he still does, like you said, but he moved out in the week after I met you. We still spend a lot of time together when we work at the market and he often visits me", Feliciano answered. For a second he looked down as if he'd remembered something important but whatever it was, he didn't say it. Instead he closed his mouth again and kept silent. After he'd finished eating the cake he lay back with his arms crossed at the back of his head and watched the clouds turn to a deeper shade of orange. Ludwig packed the plates into the basket and then lay next to him. They soon forgot time and when the clouds had turned red Feliciano was already sleeping. After a while Ludwig gently shook him to wake him up again.

"Are you planing to spend the night here?" he asked with an admonishing voice.

"Of course not, I'm going home", Feliciano countered while rubbing his eyes. "And you?"

"I thought about going home soon, too."

"Alone?" Feliciano asked teasingly. Ludwig raised his eyebrows.

"It's lonely to be alone at home. And you're alone, too, so let's have a sleep over!" Feliciano recommended smiling.

"I don't know, I'd have to head to my appartment to get my tooth brush and towels and everything", Ludwig pointed out. Because of his consideration Feliciano thought Ludwig had already agreed and threw himself at him.

"Grazie, grazie!" he sang while placing kisses on Ludwig's cheek until it was red.

"Hold on...! Can't you ask your brother?" Ludwig questioned. Feliciano suddenly decreased in his wild embrace and switched to his puppy eyes.

"I can't tell him I'm lonely! I already had to tell him a hundred times that I'd be allright before he even decided to leave our home to me. If I'd admit how much I hate to be alone he'd leave..." Feliciano stopped talking and sniffeled.

"Leave who?" Ludwig asked, assuming that Lovino had left for someone important. Feliciano leaned his head against Ludwig's chest.

"The Spaniard", he whispered. It was impossible not to have heard the rumors about a certain man from Spain, who had moved to Rome and brang a mysterious past with him. This case was to complicated and also non of Ludwig's business, so he decided to switch topics.

"Fine then. Let's have a sleep over", he drawled. Feliciano sounded relieved.

"Thank you, Ludwig."

They made their way to Feliciano's home wich wasn't far from the market. The house was old and beautiful. There were way too many rooms for one person to live in, so the family must have been big and rich once. When Feliciano came out of the bathroom he found Ludwig downstairs on the sofa, reading the book he'd brought.

"Okay, time to sleep."

Ludwig shrugged; Feliciano had apparently surprised him. He closed the book and followed him up, over the creaking stairs. When they entered the bedroom Feliciano asked Ludwig on wich side he wanted to sleep and then started to take his clothes of. Ludwig just stood there and stared at the huge double bed. Suddenly he could understand why Feliciano felt lonely; this bed was far too big for one person. Since he didn't answer Feliciano slipped under the covers, completely naked, and folded back the other side. Ludwig finally decided that he had no other choice than sleeping in the same bed with him since the sofa was too small not to fall off and it would hurt Feliciano to reject the offer in the first place. He lay down facing the wall and felt himself sink into the softness of the mattress. Felicano didn't move for a while. Maybe Ludwig felt strange since he didn't really like the idea in the first place. Feliciano didn't like that he'd pushed him into this but one more day alone in this house and he'd explode. His heart told him that Ludwig also felt something similar, a preassure that squeezed his heart. He quietly moved clother to him.

"Really, Feliciano, it's enough for today", Ludwig mumbled quietly.

"Psst, it's not awkward. It's not-" Feliciano whispered. Instead of finishing the sentence he wrapped an arm around Ludwig.


	5. Chapter 5

Remembring a bygone incident gave Ludwig an undescrptive feeling since now he and Feliciano shared a bed every night. They lived together and it was good. When you're torn badly you don't recognise people anymore. Everyone is your enemy, unless they are torn as badly as you. Those people need you as much as you need them and sometimes you find yourself holding their hand and you don't know why. You don't recognise them either, but not out of fear, not out of love, just because you can relate to them. Or to their pain.

In the evening it had already been dark and neither of them had bothered to turn on the light. The next morning Ludwig woke up to his only friend, sleeping, with a huge scar drawn from his shoulder over his chest. Feliciano's appearence was a window to his soul. He didn't lie. When he was sad or scared he bursted into tears, when he decided that he liked someone he just hugged them and seemed free around them, even more than he usually was. It also tied-in to his fate, since this scar crossed his heart, hence it was like a symbol for the pain he'd experienced at some point. Ludwig knew that and Feliciano knew, too. He never hid anything, even now he wasn't ashamed of the scar and exposed it just as much as the rest of his body.

This morning had gone by just as peacefully as the rest of the day, starting with a breakfast at the sunrise, then the market, then lunch (was it even necessary to say the word pasta?). Ludwig was surprised, but he didn't feel exhausted, he didn't want to sigh because the relief wasn't needed. The only thing that bothered him was that others were around him and Feliciano. They jamed their connetion and it annoyed him to no limit. It was not jealousy, he just felt disturbed. Feliciano felt it, too. A few weeks past, they had sleepovers again and finally Feliciano asked Ludwig to move in with him. He took the chance and switched the appartment, that was so small, yet so empty, with the comfortable house and a friends whose laughter filled every room in it. Neither of them had the money to buy another bed and so they didn't have to admit that it was the best as it was now.

Ludwig had moved in on a weekend in the beginning of summer. The biggest problem turned out to be fitting all their books in the living room. It was the most comfortable room in the house, especially during summer, because it was big, the cailing was high and a door let into the little garden behind it. It was always cooler than outside, yet the air was always fresh and so it was optimal to read there with muse. In the end Ludwig fixed a few tentative shelfs out of old boards so neither of them had to throw a single piece of literature away. On the weekends, usually on sundays, Lovino came over. The first time, the day after Ludwig had brought all his stuff over, there were boxes everywhere in the house. Lovino ran into the kitchen and found his brother with_ that_ guy sitting at the table, eating and immersed in their conversation. Feliciano was talking and laughing while he who had already been enough of a bother just smiled, looked up to the cailing and shook his head over and enthusiasm that only a few people had been able to deal with so far. He freaked out and screamed, pressing words out of Feliciano who just smiled like it was nothing that he'd choosen a stranger over his brother to help his loneliness. It had taken several cigarettes and cries until he was halfway calm and in the middle of this mess the Spaniard came in to find Lovino crying with a glass of wine in his hand and a cigarette in the other, sunken into a dramatic gesture, Feliciano was patting his shoulder and then there was this guy so tall that Antonio needed a second to find his face wich was between confusion and amusement.

"Ay! Feli!" For a second everyone went silent, until Feliciano ran towards Antonia and they went through their overemotional greeting as if they hadn't seen each other for years. Suddenly the Spaniard glanced over to Ludwig. Feliciano smiled at the opportunity to introduce two people who were important to him to each other. But Lovino interrupted him before he could even say something.

"It's that bastard who already bothered us at the market and now he's going to harass my brother all the time because Feli prefers him over me!" he screamed and bursted into tears again.

Feliciano countinued his comforting and tried to change his brother's opinion about Ludwig wich just made him even more dramatic. Finally Antonio took over the situaation by introducing himself to Ludwig who just strictly said his name and shook his hand. The Spaniard laughed and threw and arm around him. Lovino felt betrayed by this gesture and finally they all managed to sit around the table and have a more normal conversation. Antonio seemed interested in what Feliciano had to say, even though it was only the ridiculous situation and this stranger he cared for. Every now and then he smiled over to Ludwig who just smiled back too uptight. Lovino stared at his wine glass as if it was the only thing in the world that hadn't left him yet. Finally he looked up to Feliciano.

"No matter how much you like him he'll never be a replacement", he anounced with earnesty.

Feliciano shrugged. This wasn't meant exactly the way it sounded. Antonio raised his eyebrows and glanced over at Ludwig again. By now he'd already figured out that this man was smart but not quite aware of human emotions. Ludwig sensed that he had a plan wich he accomblished right away. He leaned over to Lovino, who sat next to him and threw and arm around his slim shoulders. Lovino shrugged it off and while he was busy with that Antonio grabed his face and kissed him. Feliciano fell silent and Ludwig shrugged in surprise.

"Hush, now. Don't you think it's enough already?" he said calmly.

Lovino didn't respond. Antonio turned to Ludwig again.

"Are you shocked now?" he inquired.

"No, because I already knew", stated Feliciano.

After two more glasses Lovino and the Spaniard left. Feliciano waved, Ludwig stood next to him.

"What a... lively guy", Ludwig noticed.

"Lovino's lover, but you know that now. He's the reason you're here now", Feliciano noted.

"Yes, I'm here now."

They spent the rest of the day and the next with unpacking the boxes. Ludwig took a day off to take care of the paper work but it turned out to be only a little. Since there was nothing else to do they spent a lazy afternoon in the garden between flowers and wine.

"Hey, Ludwig", said Feliciano suddenly, "let's go on a journey."

"Fine, let's just pack everything in again and go to Mexico", he growned.

"I don't mean now. Are you given holidays this year? Even if it's less than a month it's fine. We don't have to go far but I want to show you my home."

Ludwig lifted the straw hat from his face and turned to Feliciano. "I thought Rome was your home?"

"I'm home anywhere in Italy. We could just wander from town to town and ask the farmers to let us stay a night or two."

Ludwig joined his planing. "We could go along the coast or see a few of the places Goethe went to", he said dreaming. "I understand how you feel. I havn't heard of a part of Italy that isn't beautiful. I could get off in August for the last three weeks and the first week of September."

They made plans for the entire evening. The hottest part of summer came. It was too warm for Ludwig to move a lot, so he was sunbathing. And maybe he would have got a tain if Feliciano wouldn't lay vertically across on him and absorb the sunlight with his naturally taint skin. Ludwig had time to think about Lovino and Antonio. He'd been in a situation like this before and this time it was also an important matter for Feliciano. What would people think if he lived together with him whose brother was with another man, too? But he quickly threw the thought away since there was no point in it. People would probably think nothing since living in Rome wasn't that cheap. It wasn't unusual that two friends who were poor after the war moved in together to save money. And if there really were rumours...? So what? Would Ludwig mind? Would he mind beeing with Feliciano? The short Italian rolled around on the picknick rug next to him. The sun burned down on the garden. Ludwig felt the grass tickling his face. His friend threw and arm around his waist. Ludwig patted his hair and he started purring like a cat the way he always did.

"Please stop. You're beeing rediculous", he advised Feliciano.

"You only say that because you're afraid it'd make you smile", Feliciano claimed.

"I'll go on that journey with you so please stop saying stuff like that."

Feliciano stoped wallowing on the rug. His face light up.

"I love you!" he cheered and attacked Ludwig with his hugging.


	6. Chapter 6

Traveling on the way between Rome and Milan, like Goethe did, would take at least ten days, since they didn't want to rush. Their way led them to Citta Castellana, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Modena, Parma, Piacenza. They weren't planing to visit all of these big citys since the small villages in the country side, the little farms where they could spent the night, the villigers and their charm were more important to them. They routed so that they'd pass through the citys during the day and would get to a place where a room was payable by the night.

In the time after the war it didn't matter if clothing was fancy. All it had to be was useful. Feliciano had a pair of old hiking boots that he'd already owned for years. He said it'd do for their journy and Ludwig didn't say anything, even though he wasn't sure about it, but they'd have to do. He himself didn't have anything similiar except for his military boots. He'd almost left them in Germany but in the last moment the thought that they might be useful and that he wouldn't find anything better overwhelmed his already low moral. Hopefully everyone would just asume he'd stolen or found them or something. Feliciano didn't mind that they were part of the German army's clothing. What interested him more was how they looked on Ludwig. Black leather suited his strictness, yet it gave him something „daredevilish", like Feliciano called it. Packed with their little savings, a book and everything else that was too valuable to be left at home they stepped up on their way.

There were moments when Ludwig suddenly stood still and just looked off into the distance. It was beautiful to see the places that had made strangers who came here hundreds of years ago stop and rethink, that were painted for those who'd never see them and now Ludwig was here with Feliciano leaning against him, remembring all the things he'd never had.

When they came into a town there was often a crowd of boys leaning against a half-destroied wall, first interested in the travelers but quickly revealing that they waited for a girl to be brave enough to leave her home in a late hour. It wasn't hard to search for a farm with a large bam full of hay where the strangers could sleep and get a good breakfast in the morning for only a little money.

Ludwig didn't only get to know the Italien country side, but also the people, their cooking, their language, the way they were. Feliciano matched with them pretty well. It lay in his nature that people could like him easily, so it was probably because of him in the first place that everyone met them with kindness. And joy, maybe a little too much, Ludwig thought, after an incident in a small town wich they'd came across today on their way home. After a conversation with an old farmer they'd got permission to use the warm hay in the dry shelter as a bed for the night. He opened the door and not even the sound of the loudly creaking wood was able to bother those who'd already made themselves at home inside. A shattered gasp cought Ludwig's atention, whispered words of love and other sounds that he wouldn't be able to forget so soon made clear what was happening right now, just so close to them. The farmer seemed to know what was going on as well.

"Pedro!" he shouted and the next moment silence was followed by sigh, this time one let out of anticlimax. Two people moved in the back of the barn, fixing themselves up as they climbed out of the hay, the one that tourned out to be Pedro less thorough than the other one. They made their way to the door and left under the agressively glaring eyes of the farmer. Feliciano grinned at the boy and he grinned back, in understanding. The young women who was pulled behind him on her hand looked down, just like Ludwig did. His face was all red and it stayed that way until now, when he was alone with Feliciano in the dark.

They always slept together, even in the lodging houses. Speaking about it wasn't necessary since taking one room together was cheaper. Feliciano never missed to push his bed over to Ludwig's, who never complained but never missed to push it back in place in the morning. And now in the barn, of course, he coudled with Ludwig who'd given up in worrying what people might think. In the morning it was silent at the breakfast table. Feliciano and Pedro were the only ones who kept the conversation alive, first by yawning, then by bringing up last night's incident.

"No wonder you're tired", Feliciano grinned after Pedro had been contaminated by his yawn.

"So you know what it's like when the girl is just as pretty in the morning as she was in the evening?" he asked without leaving out the chance to compliment the girl, whose name was Rosetta.

"My time will come", Feliciano sighed. Pedro laughed at this statement.

"But you're so cute, I thought the ladies were flying for ya'!"

"They are, just not far enough to go all the way, but I don't know, I..." Feliciano mumbleded with his mouth full of bread rolls. He swallowed with a shade of sadness in his eyes and it would have been asight to laugh at if only the topic wasn't so embarassing. Pedro realised something bothered Feliciano and turned to his companion and barely touched anything on the table and tried to ignore the conversation so far.

"How about you?" he inquired.

"Uhm...", Ludwig began, „I haven't really-"

"Great, so did you two virgins come all the way here to learn from the master?" Pedro threw his head back and laughed.

"No, we're actually just two friends on a journey", Feliciano stated. For once he'd saved the atmosphere by taking everything by word. That made Ludwig happy and apparently it'd been noticed.

"Hey, hey!" Pedro cheered, "Could it be that it's just not the girls, but actually, you two-"

Ludwig broke him off by choking on his coffeè e latte.

Incidents like this made great memories and this was one of the kind that they wouldn't tell anyone else about. The war was over and now they could at least slowly move on towards the present and even the future started to open up.

In Florence they were hit by overwhelming civilication again, on beautiful architecure and the river Arno. None of the museums seemed as interesting as the ones in Rome, so they concentrated on the buildings and the view from the bridges. Feliciano packed out his camera and forced Ludwig who was bothered by the crowded city and all the people Feliciano might show the photo to, but in the end he let him take it anyways. When he looked at the photographie one day he saw Ludwig as he was; his atmosphere was earnest but the leather boots broke through it, he was strong and handsome but his ridiculously long eyelashes and his slightly red cheeks gave him a lovely touch, even though they didn't quite match his face. By looking at this snap-shot of Ludwig he remembered their trip clearly. Before he fell asleep in the hay next to Ludwig he'd drowned in memories like he did now, but they'd been from earlier days and weren't as pleasent as the ones he'd made now.

When they'd arrived at their house in Rome Ludwig had told him that a house was nothing without the people in it. That made Feliciano want to take his hand and look up to him and tell him that it was him who'd made this place his home again after he'd been so lonely without his brother. But he didn't say anything and he didn't touch him. In the light of the evening his face in profil looked like the sharp-cut version of someone he knew. He told himself it was only his imagination, the the one person who still claimed his heart had taken over his mind. Yet, even this love had grown since he'd met Ludwig. He, too, had been remembering. The people they'd met had come to like Feliciano so easily, it was almost as if he'd been watching himself grow to like him. But it was Ludwig who'd moved in with his friend and that was their promis to keep their friendship since it was the closest relationship both of them had right now.


End file.
